Mobile app marketing trends that are here to stay in the post-COVID-19 world

It looked like the end of the world with each passing day. The stock market had crashed, companies were laying off employees, working professionals were struggling to work from home, food stores were empty, and almost every country in the world had rising death tolls – there appeared to be no end in sight. COVID-19, at first, seemed like another problem that would decimate

Digital Marketing tech firms because budgets were slashed and it looked as if we were about to head through another nuclear winter to purchase tech. However, via thorough analysis, it was apparent within a few weeks that this situation was unique.

While some businesses hailing from Travel, Hospitality, and Retail sectors were struck hard and seemed like they might take some time to recover, other sectors appeared to see a great potential to invest in digital marketing technologies.

The pandemic will force some to reconsider outdated communication tactics, methods, and systems in which they worked (eg fast food being a distribution business). And this phenomenon has led us to witness the rise of trending mobile app marketing technologies. With this, businesses have started to ponder about post-COVID-19 app marketing trends.

Now, digital marketers are utilising devices and channels that were once used exclusively for communication and entertainment – Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram stories, TikTok, Facebook messenger chatbots, among other messaging applications – to meet customer demands, along with other emerging innovations. 

Since the emergence of messaging applications, Mobile App Marketing has become a hot topic for the business world. Mobile marketing can open innumerable options for you, including driving leads and sales for your business. It deserves a brief shout-out. 

According to a report by Statista, in 2018, India had surpassed 480 million internet users across the country. It is also projected that the figure will cross 660 million users by 2023 because India has big market potential in internet services for South Asian countries. And out of the total internet users in the country, a majority of the people access the internet via their mobile phones.

Across the country, in 2018, the figure amounted to almost 390 million. The report also states that this is an incredible chance to interact with viewers and meet demands for brands. However, mobile marketing isn't as easy as "run an ad here" or "respond to your app." That being said, producing passive income for the platform emerges as a feasible option. 

When one wishes to stay ahead of the curve, they have to learn more about the intricate patterns of mobile app marketing. However, major shifts have been witnessed in ‘Target Audiences’ for Indian marketers. Considering elderly Indian audiences in Tier-II and Tier-III cities have now become tech-savvy, the age group of 40-60 now becomes a new TG for a lot of app platforms, which earlier invested most of their budget in engagements with the age group of 25-40.

Here are some Mobile App Marketing trends which will stay after COVID-19

1. App store feedback and ratings will become more relevant

We live in a society wherein opinion and feedback are easy to get; ratings and reviews have now become the norm across various platforms. One can rate and review hotels, restaurants, businesses, and public areas such as beaches, parks, and mountain trails. People have also been able to rate and review smartphone applications for quite some time, too. This practice, then, is nothing new.

Google Play and App Store include more than 5 million apps that you can select to download. What sets a competent mobile application from the rest of the crows? Ratings and reviews, of course. People don't want to spend time checking out applications that appear sub-par in quality or fail to fulfil their intent anymore. Being able to easily view a star rating and read through highlighted comments, visitors become surer of their decision to purchase. This is crucial when you have a lot of competition, as an app developer or a marketer.

There is no doubt that people will compare apps before downloading them, while often evoking comparisons.

By heeding the feedback you receive, you'll prove to both the existing and future customers that you care about the type of user experience your app provides. 

2. More security practices

We are living in a decade of increased information breaches and misuse of data. Technology development has accelerated through changes in legislative policies related to personal records. We know that businesses are working on catching laws up to technology and getting technology to comply with legislation, but are they being persistent enough?

A major marketing app trend in 2020 will be the promotion of data policy through apps and living up to the promised transparency. People want to know how your app gathers its data and how it will use it.

As the general public is becoming increasingly aware of data security, you, as an app developer or marketer, also need to be concerned about these issues. We recognise that app marketers need to gather, store, and categorise user data in one way or another, to get those apps to work in a certain way, monetise devices, or provide user personalisation.

However, transparency is key. Marketers need to tell users about the kind of data they are collecting, and why. Users are much more likely to consent to data access if their data is protected in return. 

3. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will get big

AR and VR trends are also beginning to make a splash. By opening Spark AR to the public, Instagram and Facebook have made significant moves to push the whole world into the realm of AR and VR. As these kinds of digital interactions are normalised, customer expectations are bound to rise.

Right now, especially for mobile apps, lies the opportunity to be a front runner in the AR and VR race. Imagine the options. Shopping apps can provide dressing rooms/clothing trials via AR. Apps for furniture can provide planning for interior design in AR. Do you have a travel app? Why not display directions or landmark information via AR? That has already been implemented by Google Maps. As these experiences are most likely to ensure user satisfaction, users are more likely to come back and stay loyal. Google Play and the App Store are starting to feature a great deal more AR and VR applications.

One can increase their chances of amplified visibility by incorporating these capabilities into their app. As there is still a ton of room to innovate in the AR and VR space, app innovators can create truly surreal and immersive experiences.

4. Making transactions in applications

The world is getting increasingly mobile. As a result, people carry out more day-to-day transactions on apps or mobile browsers as compared to desktops. These transactions can take the form of financial management, service subscription, communicating with people, and much more. There are still plenty of use cases: banking apps, money transfer apps, ecommerce apps, subscription apps, dating apps, etc. The questions you should ask: 

1. What sort of transactions does my app allow? 
2. Do my users know how to use these transactions? 
3. Are my users asking for other transaction features? 
4. Am I marketing my app’s transaction capabilities? 
5. How else can I communicate the value of making this transaction?

Ecommerce applications such as Amazon and Wish have overcome a frustrating shopping problem for web users. Dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble have solved the issue of connecting with people outside your

circle.

People are getting attached to applications that swiftly, and smartly, solve their problems. This, by and large, can evolve into a gold mine for app marketers. After all, the moment an app makes a positive impact on reality, all else falls into place.